Physics 171.303: Quantum Mechanics I Fall Semester, 2014 Course Syllabus Instructor: Prof. C. L. Chien Office: Bloomberg 307 Tel: 410-516-8092 email:
[email protected] Office Hours: Mondays, 2-4 PM, or by appointment TA: Logan Maingi Office: Bloomberg 465 (Tentative) Tel: (410) 516-0461 (Tentative) email
[email protected] Office Hours: Thursday 4:30-6:30 PM, or by appointment Course Website: http://www.pha.jhu.edu/courses/171_303/ Overview: This course is the first semester of a two-semester course providing an introduction of quantum mechanics, covering non-commuting observables, angular momentum, two-state systems, time evolution, the wave equation in one dimension, and the simple harmonic oscillator. Prerequisites: Physics 171.202 or 309, Linear algebra and calculus 110.201-202, or permission of the instructor. Corequisites: Differential equations 110.302 Class Schedule: Lectures: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays (9:00 -9:50 AM) Conference: Tuesdays (1:30-2:20 PM)
Bloomberg 274 Bloomberg 176
Required Textbooks: 1. John S. Townsend, “A Modern Approach to Quantum Mechanics”, 2nd Edition (ISBN 978-1-891389-78-8). 2. David J. Griffiths, “Introduction to Quantum Mechanics,” 2nd Edition, (ISBN 0-13-111892-7) The book by Townsend is the main textbook. However, some materials and homework problems will be from other sources. Make-up classes: Occasionally, I need to be out of town. We’ll find other hours for make-up classes, or I’ll ask someone to take my class. We need to settle the time for the other hours for make-up classes. e-mail addresses: We communicate mostly by e-mail including homework assignments. You need to register in the class to receive e-mail.
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Requirements and Grading: Homework Mid-term exam Final Exam
When Weekly Tuesday, October 22, 2014 Saturday December 13, 2014
% of grade 25 25 50
Homework: Problems will be assigned from textbooks or other sources. Homework will be assigned weekly in class or posted on the web. You have about one week to complete before handing them in on Tuesdays in conference. Late homework generally will not be accepted. Solution sets will be available in conference or on the course’s website shortly thereafter the due date. Policy on Collaboration: Doing the homework is crucial to learning the material in this class. Working together can be useful and productive, and hence is not forbidden, provided that all parties put in equal efforts. It is strongly recommended that you not collaborate until you have each thought about and tried the homework. Outright copying of other's homework is not allowed. If you do not put this effort in on your own, you will not learn the material, and it will be readily apparent on the exams. The strength of the university depends on academic and personal integrity. In this course, you must be honest and truthful. Ethical violations include cheating on exams, plagiarism, reuse of assignments, improper use of the Internet and electronic devices, unauthorized collaboration, alteration of graded assignments, forgery and falsification, lying, facilitating academic dishonesty, and unfair competition.
Report any violations you witness to the instructor. You may consult the associate dean of students and/or the chairman of the Ethics Board beforehand. See the guide on “Academic Ethics for Undergraduates” and the Ethics Board web site (http://ethics.jhu.edu) for more information.
Flu Precaution: Do not come to class if you have flu symptoms.
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Physics 171.303 Quantum Mechanics I (Fall 2014) (Chapters of Townsend, “A Modern Approach to Quantum Mechanics”, 2nd Edition) Approximate Schedule Week 1
Dates 8/28,9/3,5
Reading Chapter 1
Topics Introduction, Stern-Gerlach Experiment
2
9/8-9/12
Chapter 1,2
Stern-Gerlach Experiment Rotation operator
3
9/15-9/19
Chapter 2
Representation
4
9/22-9/26
Chapter 3
Angular momentum
5
9/29-10/3
Chapter 3
Spin ½ problem
6
10/6-10/10
Chapter 4
Time evolution
7
10/13,15,16
Chapter 4
Time evolution of 2-state systems
10/17-19 8
10/20-10/24
Fall Break Chapter 5
Two spin ½ particles
Mid-Term Exam: October 21 (Tuesday), 2014 (Chapters 1-4) 9
10/27-10/31
Chapter 5
Addition of angular momentum
10
11/3-11/7
Chapter 6
Wave mechanics in 1-d
11
11/10-11/14
Chapter 6
Particle in a box, 1-d scattering
12
11/17-11/21
Chapter 7
1-d harmonic oscillator
11/24-11/30 13
12/1-12/5
14
12/6 – 12/9
15
12/10-12/19
Thanksgiving Holiday Chapter 7
more on 1-d harmonic oscillator Reading Period
Final Exam (12/13/2014, Saturday 2-5 PM) (Chapters 1-7)
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